Mr. 8, where food and mood come together

Located down a hill in a wealthy neighborhood in northern Seoul, Mr. 8 (Palseonsaeng in Korean) might make customers wonder whether they have just stepped into an old tavern from a period Chinese movie. A single-story wooden house with a small front yard welcomes customers while red lights and wooden furniture such as long-legged chairs and a round table create an exotic feel. Tangsuyuk at Palseon

May 27, 2011

Wine of the Week: 2009 Domaine Faury Saint-Joseph ‘Vieilles Vignes’

Wine of the Week: 2009 Domaine Faury Saint-Joseph ‘Vieilles Vignes’The 2009 old-vines Saint-Joseph from Domaine Faury is a stunner. Classic northern Rhone Syrah in all its intricate glory, dark plums overlaid with exotic sweet spices and violet.Grapes grown on steep hillside vineyards and meticulous winemaking from Philippe Faury and his son Lionel yield a Saint-Joseph that drinks beautifully now

May 27, 2011

No Ordinary Salt

Premium minerals sought out by health-conscious consumersAt Anzu, a Seoul-based Japanese tonkatsu restaurant, salt plays a crucial role. Generally an invisible entity that we take for granted, the edible rock arrives in vivid green and golden hues alongside the establishment’s fried vegetables. Powder fine, one tastes of green tea, the other of curry. For their tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), the

May 27, 2011

Bibimbap burger hits New York

A burger version of the signature Korean dish bibimbap is captivating the taste buds of New York foodies. Made by Angelo Sosa, an American chef who appeared on the U.S. TV show “Top Chef,” the bibimbap burger has made a successful debut by winning the best burger prize at a competition to find the greatest burger in America.“Recently we won, by Eater.com, the best burger not only in New York city

May 25, 2011

Clubby Italian dining

The booming lounge music that fills the dark, cavernous space of Addiction Plus might confuse many first timers ― is it a restaurant or is it a lounge?Contrary to its eclectic interior, which has a disco ball over the lounge area with huge mattresses and oversized cushions, an organ in a corner and strictly utilitarian tables and chairs, and an equally eclectic mix of music ― over the course of th

May 20, 2011

[Korean Kitchen] Bibim-naengmyeon (Mixed cold buckwheat noodles)

“Bibim-naengmyeon” is a dish of cold buckwheat noodles mixed with spicy and thick red pepper sauce. It may be garnished with raw fish. It is also called “Hamheung-naengmyeon” because it was a regional food of the Hamheung district in South Hamgyeong Province.  Bibim-naengmyeon (KTO)Ingredients ● 600 g buckwheat noodles (dried) ● 100 g minced beef● 100 g radish● 1 cucumber,½ tsp salt● 100 g pear ●

May 20, 2011

Shakes and Floats

Authentic soda fountain drinks for a cool summerMilkshakes so thick they require a spoon and floats topped with scoops of ice cream are classic American drinks that stir up fond memories of the 1950s, when the soda fountains, burger joints and diners that served them abounded. Even today, that is where you will most likely find them, served up with a burger and fries, which, according to Brooklyn

May 20, 2011

Starter kitchen: Easy recipes and advice for new cooks

June ought to be called the freshest month. College graduates move into their lives, newlyweds set up house, and a new crop of cooks hits the kitchen.New York food writer Brooke Parkhurst has been there. When she graduated from Davidson College in 2002, she moved to New York for a career in TV journalism. Instead, she became a novelist with “Belle in the Big Apple,” and married a chef, James Brisc

May 18, 2011

Bon appetit! Enjoy eating alone

Cooking solo grows up, classes offer recipes for oneHave you ever eaten over the sink or in front of an open fridge and felt miserable? Cooking for one is not typically seen as an exciting proposition. Whether you are a student or a single working adult, many people living alone end up eating leftovers or the same thing meal after meal.So it was for 24-year-old student Kim Hye-seon, until she foun

May 13, 2011

Wine this week: 2009 Larochette-Manciat Macon ‘Les Morizottes’

In glorious warm weather like this, if you’re going to drink a Chardonnay, make it something crisp and minerally like this fine Macon. The fruit carries hints of celery seed, anise and melon. Lithe and elegant, this Maconnais Chardonnay isn’t weighed down with oak. The price is right too, from this undervalued region. The Larochette Manciat — Macon (Burgundy) 2009 (Los Angeles Times/MCT)Drink it w

May 13, 2011

Beef tripe for lunch, anyone?

A Japanese restaurant has opened in the Sinmuro neighborhood, offering a new choice for the many office workers in the area jaded by the usual offerings of Korean eateries.Yamaya, which bills itself as “Hakata motsunabe dining and bar,” offers a choice of five set menus during lunch hour: Deep-fried chicken seasoned with Pollack roe; Hakata Gameni, chicken braised in soy-seasoned broth with chunks

May 13, 2011

Haemul-pajeon (Seafood Green Onion Pancake)

Haemul-pajeon is a savory pancake with plenty of green onion and seafood coated with mushy dough and beaten egg on top. It is a well-harmonized dish studded with soft green onions and tasty seafood. Dongnae-pajeon is a famous dish from Busan in South Gyeongsang Province. Dongnae-pajeon (KTO)Ingredients ● 100 g mussel flesh, 70 g clam flesh, 70 g oysters● 200 g small green onions ● 1 green pepper ●

May 13, 2011

Makguksu, not just the other naengmyeon

Gangwon Province dish is a versatile, do-it-yourself take on chilled noodlesOutside the weathered storefront of Chuncheon Makguksu in Euljiro-4-ga, Seoul, patrons file in to grab a table and enjoy the establishment’s famed noodles. Even past lunch hour, the restaurant is packed. Bowl after bowl of the traditional Gangwon Province dish, “makguksu,” arrives. In the kitchen, a woman works with a cont

May 13, 2011

A guide to sipping

Cocktails and nosh for urban bar-hoppersBalmy weather takes nightlife up a notch, bringing the crowds into watering holes throughout the city. Beer, wine and soju are tip-top staples for the thirsty party-goer. For the pub crawler in the mood for a sip, cocktails are where it’s at. Here’s a quick look at a couple of places worth checking out for a tasty tipple or two. The Timber House If you’re lo

May 6, 2011

Around the hotels

Lotte Hotel SeoulThe hotel’s restaurant Peninsula offers a special cake baking class on Children’s Day from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Participants can take part in the cake-baking experience and also enjoy a lunch buffet. Children will also receive a Children’s Day gift. A variety of activities, such as face-painting, caricature-drawing and magic shows will be offered. The fee is 300,000 won for a family of

April 29, 2011

Forget the bottles: Do-it-yourself dressings just taste fresher

I was weaned on bottled dressings poured over iceberg lettuce salads.There were three basic choices. When my two younger brothers dared to drizzle dressing on their salads ― and most of the time they chose (shiver) dry lettuce ― they adorned it with something called “Catalina,” a vivid orange, very sweet dressing.My personal favorite was blue cheese, or as we called it at my house, Roquefort. Our

April 29, 2011